Nonvolatile memory elements are used in systems in which persistent storage is required. For example, digital cameras use nonvolatile memory cards to store images and digital music players use nonvolatile memory to store audio data. Nonvolatile memory is also used to persistently store data in computer environments. Nonvolatile memory is often formed using electrically-erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) technology. This type of nonvolatile memory contains floating gate transistors that can be selectively programmed or erased by application of suitable voltages to their terminals.
As fabrication techniques improve, it is becoming possible to fabricate nonvolatile memory elements with increasingly smaller dimensions. However, as device dimensions shrink, scaling issues are posing challenges for traditional nonvolatile memory technology. This has led to the investigation of alternative nonvolatile memory technologies, including magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), spin transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM), and resistive random access memory (ReRAM), among others.
Resistive memory devices are formed using memory elements that have two or more stable states with different resistances. Bistable memory has two stable states. A bistable memory element can be placed in a high resistance state or a low resistance state by application of suitable voltages or currents. Voltage pulses are typically used to switch the memory element from one resistance state to the other. Nondestructive read operations can be performed to ascertain the value of a data bit that is stored in a memory cell.
Resistive switching based on transition metal oxide switching elements formed of metal oxide films has been demonstrated. Although metal oxide films such as these exhibit bistability, the resistance of these films and the ratio of the high-to-low resistance states are often insufficient to be of use within a practical nonvolatile memory device. For instance, the resistance states of the metal oxide film should preferably be significant as compared to that of the system (e.g., the memory device and associated circuitry) so that any change in the resistance state change is perceptible. The variation of the difference in resistive states is related to the resistance of the resistive switching layer. Therefore, a low resistance metal oxide film may not form a reliable nonvolatile memory device. For example, in a nonvolatile memory that has conductive lines formed of a relatively high resistance metal such as tungsten, the resistance of the conductive lines may overwhelm the resistance of the metal oxide resistive switching element. Therefore, the state of the bistable metal oxide resistive switching element may be difficult or impossible to sense. Furthermore, the parasitic resistance (or the parasitic impedance, in the actual case of time-dependent operation), (e.g. due to sneak current paths that exist in the system), may depend on the state of the system, such as the data stored in other memory cells. It is often preferable that the possible variations of the parasitic impedance be unsubstantial compared to the difference in the values of the high and low resistance of a memory cell.
Similar issues can arise from integration of the resistive switching memory (and other NVM technologies) element with current selector elements (also known as current limiter or current steering elements), such as diodes and/or transistors. Control elements (e.g. selector devices) in nonvolatile memory structures can screen the memory elements from sneak current paths to ensure that only the selected bits are read or programmed. A Schottky diode can be used as a selector device, which can include p-n junction diode or metal-semiconductor diode, however, this requires a high thermal budget that may not be acceptable for 3-dimensional (3D) memory application. Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitor (MIMCAP) tunneling diodes may have a challenge of providing controllable low barrier height and low series resistance. In some embodiments, the control element can also function as a current limiter or steering element. In some embodiments, a control element can suppress large currents without affecting acceptable operation currents in a memory device. For example, a control element can be used with the purpose of increasing the ratio of the measured resistances in the high and low resistance state, further making the non-volatile memory device less susceptible to the noise due to parasitic impedances in the system. Note that the terms “control element”, “current selector”, “current limiter”, and “steering element” may often times be substituted for each other, due to a substantial overlap in the functional utility of the elements they may describe. Such a substitution does not affect the scope of this description, which is limited only by the claims.
Therefore, there is a need for a steering element that can meet the design criteria for advanced memory devices.